Eye Sex
by flootzavut
Summary: I've never quite been able to figure out if this is finished, but on the other hand I can't seem to expand it. So I'm posting it as is! Kate accidentally reveals more than she intends to Abby, and then gets a revelation of her own. (Kibbs, not Kabby, but it's a Kate/Abby friendship story really.)


_**KATE**_

"This guy was like, totally eye sexing me."

Kate looked over at her friend. "Do I even wanna know what eye sexing is?"

Abby grinned. "You know, when someone looks at you like you're a particularly delicious steak and all they want to do is eat you up."

"Huh. No, I don't think that's ever happened to me." Kate pulled an exaggerated face to make Abby laugh, but really, she wished someone, anyone, would look at her like that. Well - maybe not just anyone... But that was a pointless and unhelpful thought, so she forced it down.

Abby chuckled, then cocked her head. "Oh, really?"

Kate knew that look. It could mean a lot of things, but the most important meaning when it came from Abby was always "Danger! Danger!" It was the kind of look she associated with ending up in strange clubs, getting tattoos, investing in black lipstick, meeting some pretty far out people, and basically getting caught up in Abby's mischief making schemes.

In fairness, it also usually promised a lot of fun, they'd never ended up in serious jeopardy or in trouble with the police, and Kate did enjoy the chance to let her hair down. But still, it was an expression that meant business, and with Abby that could mean anything.

Abby was still staring at her, and she returned the stare for as long as she could before curiosity got the better of her.

"What?" There was no response. "Abby, what?"

Abby's grin got a little wider. "Well, Kate, I'm trying to figure out if you're more naive than I'd thought, or if you're pulling my leg, and I can't quite decide."

Kate felt herself flush a little. "I have no idea what you mean, Abs."

"Hmmm. Let's look at the evidence. Exhibit A: Miss Todd's claim that she doesn't know what eye sex is. Exhibit B: Miss Todd's claim that she has never experienced eye sexing. The first one I can believe, Kate. The second? Nope."

Abby had used this technique before to wheedle secrets out of her, but for once Kate was truly baffled. "Abby, I really..." She shrugged. "I really honestly don't know what you mean."

Abby's expression turned a little serious, even... sympathetic. "Oh, Kate."

That was almost worse. "What?"

Abby put a hand on her arm. "Kate, eye sex is the way you look at Gibbs."

Kte was so shocked that she couldn't even get the breath to issue a denial, tell Abby she was crazy, or attempt to laugh it off.

She'd been trying particularly hard for several weeks to tamp down her reactions to the man, ever since his little "romance between agents never works" speech in Cuba, but even before then she'd thought she was managing her façade of cool professionalism rather well. She'd made her choice when she took the job at NCIS, and hard as it might be sometimes, she'd looked on it as one more sacrifice to her country. If doing the work she loved meant nursing her unrequited and untameable crush... Well, she'd live with that.

Clearly her facial expression told Abby all she needed to know, as she scooted her chair closer and wrapped her arms around Kate's for a hug. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna tell anyone, Kate."

She leaned into the embrace with a sigh. If Abby had noticed... "Do you think Gibbs has realised?"

She felt Abby shrug. "With Gibbs, who can tell?"

She had a feeling that Abby was just being kind. Granted, Abby knew her better, but she wasn't foolish enough to wager against Gibbs being in the know.

"I'm gonna have to find a new job..."

Abby pulled away just enough to give her a confused look. "Why?"

"'Pull that crap at NCIS, I won't give you a chance to resign,' to quote Gibbs." She groaned. "I don't think he's gonna make an exception just because it's him."

Abby chuckled, and Kate thumped her - harder than she usually would. "Abs!"

"Kate?"

"It's not funny, Abs!"

She felt a rumble as Abby tried and failed to suppress another giggle.

"Sorry, Kate," she managed to blurt. "It's just... The reason I laughed when you said it never happens to you?"

"Uh-huh?"

"And just now?"

"_What?_"

"When he thinks no one's watching? Eye sex is also the way Gibbs looks at you."


End file.
